This invention relates generally to the field of infant incubators, and more particularly to an improved incubator having a unique hood design affording great accessibility to the infant and incorporating a heating system adapted to maintain the incubator at a predetermined temperature.
There are many designs of infant incubators having a variety of hood constructions and heating means. The objectives in the construction of incubators are basically to provide a temperature and humidity controlled environment to minimize the infant's heat loss and to have good visibility so that hospital personnel can keep a continual visual check on the infant and also provide good access to the infant for changing or performing some function on the infant.
Different heating means include the directing of heated air into the compartment containing the infant to warm its environment; however, such method does have certain deficiencies in that thermal currents or drafts may prevent attaining uniformity of temperature throughout the infant's compartment and also, such systems only provide indirect control of the radiant surfaces surrounding the infant.
Other heating means have included radiant means adapted to direct radiant energy through a hood or within a compartment for heating the infant; however, such means have generally slow response to varying conditions.
One further difficulty with normal heating means involves the problem arising out of an infant's loss of heat by radiant energy. A premature infant has a relatively large surface area that radiates heat, thus losing valuable and needed heat of the infant. Therefore, the heating means must prevent loss of such radiant energy to the utmost extent.
Basically, therefore, qualities desired in an incubator are that access to the infant be provided while allowing a minimum of heat loss from the incubator; a hood should provide good visual contact when in the closed position so that the infant can be observed easily, and complete access to the infant can be gained for carrying out emergency procedures.